Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

I made these new cookies today, and as they were so delicious I wanted to share the recipe straight away.

I’ve eaten two already and they are not even cold , a crisp outside with a soft chocolatey and nutty inside . I hope you enjoy them too.

Recipe –

100g ground almonds

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tsp cacao

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips gluten free

1/4 cup maple syrup

70g melted unsalted butter

1 beaten large egg

Method

mix together all the dry ingredients

add the melted butter , maple syrup and beaten egg

stir together well

mould small balls of cookie dough and pop onto a lined baking sheet

bake in a pre heated oven 170c for 14 mins

cool on a wire rack

Enjoy !

 

 

 

Easy grain free soft cookies

While away I was looking for a cookie that I could make quickly, These have been so successful I have made three batches in a couple of weeks. You can add anything you fancy I have added raisins, dark chocolate chips or cherries . Maybe try adding chopped nuts. I think hazelnuts would work well.

Recipe –

100g ground almonds

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

2 tsp ground flax seeds

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon ( you could add cacao or ground ginger instead )

1/3 cup honey

1 large egg

70g butter or coconut oil ( melted )

1/2 cup  or more – a mixture of raisins / cherries / chocolate chips /  sultanas  Be inventive !

Method

Put all the dry ingredients in to the bowl

then add in the egg, honey, melted butter or coconut oil.

mix well together , form into balls , place on a baking sheet with  greaseproof paper

squash down with your hand to flatten as they don’t spread much by themselves

bake for 12 mins at 175c

cool on a wire rack

store in an airtight container or freeze in two’s ready for a snack attack!

The ground flax seed and coconut flour are not cheap but kept in an airtight container they last ages .

Happy Baking !

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten free treats from Manna Dew

On Saturday I found myself in Battersea park for the Formula E racing . The extra bonus to a day out watching racing cars was that I remembered the Mann Dew was close by.

Manna Dew is a 100% gluten free Patisserie and Bakery Cafe serving breakfasts, lunches and afternoon teas situated on a classic London cobblestone street in Battersea. The Patisserie does not use refined sugar instead opting for sugars such as agave and coconut sugar. ( Macaron the only exception )

I walked from the park following the directions on Google maps which took about 12 mins. Manna Dew was a smaller shop than I expected but once inside I was impressed with the quality of the interior, and the cleanliness.   A real little gem. The array of patisserie delights was mind blowing along with the aroma of freshly baked bakery goods and the smell of fresh coffee. The choice was a little overwhelming for me. I rarely find a shop where I can safely induldge in such amazing gluten free treats .

The bakery goods looked great, the French baguettes, yes baguettes! looked Amazing , seeded buns and focaccia looked and smelt so tempting hard to believe they didn’t contain gluten.

Due to having Crohn’s disease as well as being intolerant to gluten means gluten free grains are only for treat days. I find that too many gluten free grains affect me if eaten regularly. But for a Coeliac or someone who is gluten intolerant this place is a dream come true you !

I could see that the staff were very busy, a young family with three children were enjoying a pre booked afternoon tea, another group of people were sitting outside in the sunshine while a delivery for Deliveroo was being sorted and sent on its way.

As I was short for time and needed to get back for the Formula E big race I made an order to take away. I chose a chocolate brownie, a mini carrot cake and a toasted Italian focaccia for my husband. I am intolerant to yeast otherwise I would have chosen the chicken focaccia which looked amazing.

I had a short chat with Muhammed who kindly gave me a raspberry passion fruit tart to try as he said it was one of their signature patisserie tarts and I he wanted me to try it. A very generous gift.

I dashed back to the Park to enjoy my picnic. My husband was very impressed with the toasted focaccia saying he couldn’t tell that it was gluten free. In fact he thought it was nicer than most regular gluten focaccia sandwiches. We shared the decadent chocolate brownie, an intensely chocolatey slice, gooey and very rich . A big hit and something I would order again. I enjoyed the carrot cake all to myself, again really delicious and light.

The special patisserie raspberry and passionfruit tart was saved until we were home. Amazingly it survived intact.

The raspberry passionfruit tart was indeed a triumph, a biscuity pastry with a tangy filling and fresh fruit. So glad I was able to try this. I enjoyed it and would order again. My husband said he would of preferred a more simple pastry case.

I would love to see added to the range some grain free treats too I think they would be very popular, I for one would be back in a flash to try them .

Do pay Manna Dew a visit if you live in London or are visiting London in the near future. Locals can also have delicious gluten free treats delivered to their door with Deliveroo and JINN . Places like this will not survive unless we show our support to indie shops like this delightful one.

Why not book a trip soon , there is currently a special offer on afternoon tea, check the website for details.

You can follow Manna Dew on Twitter @mannadew

Website mannadew.co.uk

Tuesday to Friday 10am – 6pm

Sat & Sun 10.30am – 6pm

169 Battersea high street SW11 3JS

 

 

 

 

 

My review of Honeybuns Squillionaire and Fruity nut bar

Honeybuns  New Squillionaire is a gluten free polenta and date shortbread , topped with date and chocolate –  less sweet than your average millionaire square but still tastes like a treat. Containing no refined sugar its obviously still sweet but instead of refined sugar it contains date syrup and date paste . I love that it clearly says I’m a cake not a health bar .

Its good to see Honeybuns listening to many of us requesting refined sugar free treats.

Honeybuns are hoping to make the Squillionaire bar Dairy free in the future . But please be aware that at present it may contain traces of dairy.

 

My next challenge to Honeybuns is for 100% dairy free treats using coconut oil and I would love to see a Grain free , refined sugar free treat too?

I picked mine up from my local Waitrose cafe , located near the till. Priced at £1.85

 

I really enjoyed this new cake bar, I actually prefer the lower sugar taste and would select it again .

Also available online at Honeybuns.co.uk at £1.70 per slice.

The new Fruity nut bar is a dairy free and gluten free bar packed with cranberries, nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. This is still most definitely a treat and does contain a small amount of sugar in the sweetened cranberries  , the bar also contains dates. Each bite is full of delicious dried fruit and nuts.  I enjoyed it but not sure I would choose it again.

cost £1.70

Honeybuns say ” It tastes like a decadent cake, not a health bar ! ”

online at honeybuns.co.uk it costs £1.70 per bar

Follow Honeybuns on Twitter @honeybunsbakery 

Coconut Muffins grain free

I was looking to make a light spongy cake that could be made grain free and dairy free , these are delicious!

 

 

I’ve made these twice now in a hotter oven 200c. But think they would be better at 180c as mine caught slightly on top.

They really are very light and were enjoyed by the family.

Coconut Muffins

Recipe –

300g ground almonds

pinch salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs

1 tin coconut milk ( use 300ml of the thick cream inside and a little of the coconut water )

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 tbsp honey

Topping of your choice – I used low sugar jam and strawberries

Method 

pre heat fan oven to 180c

put all the dry ingredients in the bowl, the ground almonds , salt and bicarbonate of soda

add the beaten eggs, honey and vanilla

Open a can of coconut milk . Using a measuring jug spoon in the lovely thick cream that comes to the top of the tin and a little of the coconut water to make up to the 300ml mark

add to the mix

mix well

prepare muffin tray and paper cases

spoon mixture into the cases, I made 11 muffins

You can add desiccated coconut on the top if you wish

( I added dessicated coconut and lime zest to these )

Bake for 15mins at 180c and then check if they need slightly longer .

Cool before eating on a wire rack

We enjoyed them topped with lower sugar strawberry jam and a fresh strawberry on each perfect for Wimbledon week

you could make lime and coconut muffins

or maybe top with chocolate

These muffins also work well with a hidden spoonful of jam inside, put a little mix in your muffin case then add a spoonful of jam then top with more muffin cake mix.

Happy Baking!

 

Grain free bakes from against all grain cook book

I had a go at making two grain free bakes from Danielle Walkers book Against all grain, this was Danielle’s first book from 2013 . The book is packed full of delicious bakes and meals that are grain free

I needed to use up some ripe bananas and I spotted Danielle’s Allergy free breakfast cookies. Made using apple sauce, dates, coconut flour, coconut raisins and bananas I knew they would taste good.

The recipe was easy to follow in fact I just popped it on in the food processor and made a perfect cookie dough.

 

I expected them to be quite firm but theses cookies I thought were more like the texture and taste of a date bar or raw paleo bar, a soft cookie . Saying this I still really liked them and preferred them to shop bought bars and would definitely make the again. They freeze well so I froze in bags of two for those moments when you are desperate for a sweet treat. they would make a good quick breakfast on the go. Here is the recipe Allergy free Breakfast cookies

Secondly I made the world-famous sandwich bread   ( this recipe took Danielle’s blog global )

With a very strange list of ingredients I did have my doubts . Eggs, cashew butter,honey, almond milk , coconut flour etc didn’t sound much like a bread recipe but I thought it was worth a go. The recipe used apple cider vinegar but as I’m yeast free and avoid vinegar I guessed lemon juice would do the trick and fortunately it worked well.

I was so pleased with the result. The bread tasted very nice with a springy texture. It was time consuming to make and quite messy with lots of washing up. But well worth the effort. Very different from a regular gluten filled loaf but still suitable to make a sandwich or toast the slices are quite small but it does the job well .

For me, having a bread I can slice and make sandwiches yet still stay grain free is amazing!

Danielle was diagnosed with ulcerated colitis , like Crohn’s disease this is an inflammatory bowel disease. She is on a grain free diet to improve her health and control the disease. Danielle hasn’t had a flair up since 2011. She is now following a Paleo diet and staying well and free from IBD symptoms . Story’s like this encourage me to continue grain free.

You can follow Danielle on Twitter  @againstallgrain

Her website is packed full of recipes and inspiration –  againstallgrain.com

The book is available on Amazon for £21.24

Book 2 – Against all grain meals made simple is available too

3rd book – Against all grain Celebrations will be released on September 27th

Simple gluten free banana bread

I always buy more bananas than I can eat before they start going brown and over ripe. So banana bread is a favourite to make, to use up this over soft extra sweet fruit.

Usually I make a grain free version for me, but this recipe is just gluten free and you would be hard pushed to tell this apart from its gluten filled version. Perfect for an afternoon sweet treat. I made this for my Son’s birthday

Recipe

Banana bread

100g unsalted softened butter ( you could also use coconut oil  )

175g sugar ( I used Coconut sugar which I prefer )

2 large free range eggs

2 large over ripe Bananas

225g gluten free self raising flour ( I used Doves Farm )

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

2 tbsp milk ( I used almond milk )

Method

Really simple

pre heat oven fan 160c

I used a hand blender and mixed everything together, the blender mashes the banana really well and helps to cream together the sugar and softened butter.

If you don’t have a hand blender or processor you can use a potato masher to mash the bananas or a fork and elbow grease to mix together the other ingredients.

Top tip – make sure you use a mixing spoon that is not used for making gluten bakes especially if it is a wooden spoon as gluten loves to hide in them.

I lined a 2 lb loaf tin and spooned in the batter

the loaf then goes in a pre heated oven at fan 160c for 1 hr

leave to cool, then turn out on to a wire cooling rack.

As mine was for a celebration, I added icing and chocolate shavings.

slice and enjoy with a cuppa!

 

 

Grain free Easter fruit cake

The perfect Easter cake for those not keen on Simnel cake the traditional Easter cake made with marzipan .

If you miss Simnel cake and are living grain free, you could use this recipe and add a thin layer of golden marzipan to add to the centre of the cake mixture about 1/3  and then once baked and cooled add warmed apricot jam and a top layer of marzipan, crimp the edges and use the remaining to make 11 balls to place around the edge on the top. This can be brushed with beaten egg and popped under a hot grill for a moment. A good alternative to a traditional Simnel cake.

This really is a treat cake packed with lots of dried fruit, high in sugar but for a special celebration cake this is perfect and I think it will become a new tradition in my home.

You will need

140g raisins/sultanas

30g chopped dried apricots

80g chopped dried cherries

80g pitted finely chopped medjool dates

130g ground almonds

100g finely chopped walnuts

1 heaped tsp mixed spice

zest of one orange

1/2 heaped tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp squeezed orange juice

15g coconut sugar

4 large eggs

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together and the fruit

add the coconut oil, beaten eggs, orange juice

mix well

line a loaf tin or round tin with greaseproof paper

spoon in the cake mixture

sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top

bake for 40mins in pre heated fan oven 170c

Allow to cool

remove from the tin and continue to cool on a wire rack

decorate with mini Easter eggs or leave as it is .

This cake freezes well.

Happy Easter  x

Grain free Hot Cross Buns

This Easter I am determined to stay grain free through the festivities,  with this in mind I set about trying to make myself some Hot Cross Buns, for me an essential taste of Easter. Just to make this more tricky for myself I could not use yeast as I am intolerant to it.

I decided to use Ugg chia seed and nut bread mix as my starting point and added spices and fruit to get as near to this classic as possible

1/2 pack – 175g of UGG Foods chia seed and nut bread mix ( I buy mine from natureshealthbox.co.uk  )

3 eggs separated whites and yolk

2 tbsp coconut oil ( I used Lucy bee )

1/2 pint almond milk

3 tbsp maple syrup

110g a mix of raisins, sultanas

1 tbsp chopped dried apricots

1  heaped tsp cinnamon

1 heaped tsp mixed spice

add more spice if you prefer

zest orange/lemon

 

low sugar Apricot jam for glaze

For the cross- 2 tsp coconut flour add water until you have a smooth paste

or use icing sugar

Method

I put the dry ingredients in a bowl

I then beat the egg white until stiff peaks

I beat the egg yolks and added the maple syrup and melted coconut oil

then added them to the dry ingredients

I mixed well and then folded in the egg whites

This makes a very wet dough

I sprinkled ground almonds on the surface

I used my hands to mould each bun shape

You should be able to make six hot cross buns

I placed these on a baking tray with greaseproof paper

I found the cross the hardest to achieve. I mixed coconut flour and water until it formed a smooth paste. I used a icing syringe to make this cross.

You could wait until the buns are baked and cooled and add pipped icing sugar to make a cross.

I put the buns in a pre heated fan oven 170c

for 30- 35mins

Straight out of the oven I brushed warmed sieved low sugar apricot jam over the buns

I was quite pleased with the over all look , will try harder with the cross next time.

The taste was very close to I remembered, obviously the texture is slightly different. going to make another batch very soon.

If you have any other ideas to make the cross do let me know

 

Delicious as they are or toasted with plenty of butter.

Happy Baking!

 

 

 

 

 

My review of Deliciously Ella’s new book Every day

Needing some inspiration for new meals for 2016 I went out and bought a new cook book. I chose Deliciously Ella Every day, Ella’s second book is packed full of recipes. Breakfasts, healthy eating on the go, salads, easy weekday dinners and big batch cooking also a few simple sweets.

The first recipe I tried was the gingerbread cookies these were very easy to make. I would definitely advise using as little extra flour as possible. Mine had a little too much flour on the biscuits once baked which didn’t taste nice. The biscuits themselves were nice, very plain which you can see by the photo in the book. I have to admit using some of mine to make chocolate refrigerator cake, oops. I would call these ‘biscuits’ rather than cookies as they are crisp and snap like a biscuit.

The second recipe I chose was the maple chia pots. I thought this would be a new good breakfast alternative. They were easy to make and I popped them into the fridge to have the following day. I used a cleaned out Lucy bee coconut oil jar the perfect size. I found the maple chia pot had a pleasant creamy taste and just the right sweetness. Unfortunately I struggled with the texture and the look of the breakfast pot. A very gluppy gluey consistency I’m not sure I would make this again.

For a change I thought I would try one of Ella’s vegan main meals in the batch cooking section. We normally tend to eat quite a lot of fish and meat. I halved the recipe which made enough for 3 large portions. Another simple recipe very easy to follow, Spiced sweet potato stew which was delicious. This went down well with Mr S so I will make this again. We had leftovers for supper with a few gluten free nachos.

We had a family lunch yesterday the perfect occasion for a nice new pudding. I chose the chocolate ganache cake. Firstly I would say that this is a pudding more like fudge or a torte than cake. Very quick and easy to make the ingredients are definitely unusual for a cake . Avocados, cacao, chia seeds, maple syrup etc. I was shocked by the quantity of maple syrup in the cake. 15 tablespoons if you add the frosting, or 11 tbsp without frosting. I added the frosting which looked beautiful. The end result looked very nice but it wasn’t a hit with the family or myself. I definitely didn’t love it.  Even with the large amount of maple syrup it didn’t taste overly sweet ,some felt it had a bitter taste. More like a large slice of fudge but not as delicious ! and no better for you . I cut mine into 8 pieces but could have cut smaller slices as it was so rich.I think it is worth saying that this is no healthy for you than more regular sweet treats. Best in very thin slices served with cream.

The next recipe I hope to try is the chick pea, quinoa and turmeric curry which looks good.

The photographs in the book are lovely and most recipes have a photo of the finished dish or bake which I think is very important. The recipes so far have been easy to make. The cake recipe was very expensive to make but the spicy sweet potato stew is a good cheap vegan alternative for a meat free day.

I paid £10 for my book which was half price in WH Smiths. It is available every where, I even spotted it in Anthropology . Lots of deals to be had, so if you are keen to buy most places have it for half price.

You can follow Deliciously Ella on Twitter @deliciouslyella